This is a topic I find particularly interesting when it’s debated on cc. In one thread, there’ll be an outpouring of support fot students with illnesses UNTIL another thread starts. And then, no one should have to live with or near the student whose disability makes him or her appear to have “mental problems.”
From the article “the jury also found that the university could not order the unnamed student to do anything that would not be required of another student in order to continue living on the campus.” It’d be a pure guess, but do you suppose the school had tried to order the student to check in with its own mental health center?
It is a difficult issue for colleges, roommates but especially for the kid (and his or her family) that may be suffering from a mental illness, but trying to make it at college. A friend’s daughter had a roommate who was clearly displaying symptoms of a major depression. When the parents had to come to take the daughter home, they were infuriated at friend’s daughter because she reported the issue. The parents argued the daughter would have been just fine.
Kids with mental health issues need a chance to succeed and compassion from others to help them. But a college freshman placed in a situation without any information is more likely to consider the roommate weird or annoying than to understand their challenges. Of course, some roommates are just selfish and annoying so it is not always easy to discern the difference, especially if the college is not allowed to ask about it.
Thanks for that @Periwinkle ! I suspected that might be the case. I’ve read many times of colleges that want students with MIs to jump through extra hoops. In fact, it was the topic of a presentation at the last conference I attended.
@Periwinkle A problem hadn’t even come up and the university wanted control of the student’s private healthcare decisions? The university can go get stuffed. Good on the kid for suing and winning.